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Hiding The Smell of Smoked or Stored Cannabis

The smell of weed can be exciting when it hits the nostrils. It can also be so difficult to disguise, it could land you in trouble. Here is our guide to keeping the stench from cannabis under control.

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8 Apr 2018

If you love weed, the very smell of it can be satisfying to you. When your weed has a strong smell, it's often the sign of a high-quality strain. Smell is a peculiar thing, though. If you become accustomed to a scent, you stop noticing it. This can lead to a social faux-pas when your clothes have absorbed the smell of cannabis. You may not catch the dank scent, even though it’s incredibly distinctive to other people. And these people could have unenlightened attitudes towards cannabis users. Maybe that's not a concern to you, but what about the law? Depending on where you live, there could be severe consequences if law enforcement notices a cannabis smell on your clothes, in your car, or at your home. Here's our guide to making sure you can keep cannabis odours under control.

CONTAINING THE SMELL OF YOUR BUDS

If you store cannabis for the long-term, you will want to invest in good containers. Why skimp on the preservation of your precious buds? An air-tight container keeps the freshness in. Crucially, it should isolate the fragrance from the outside world, too. You have a number of options ranging from tightly-sealed bags to tupperware containers. Plastic may not always be reliable for keeping the smell inside, though. A glass container like a Mason jar or a steel container like a coffee can will be better. There are even companies that have specially developed containers with precisely regulated humidity levels, such as Boveda. There are also types with secure locks, like with Stashlogix. Whatever your storage method, a dark, cool place is where you should be keeping it.

HIDE THE SMELL FROM SMOKING

As for where you should be smoking, count yourself lucky if the laws where you live allow for consumption spaces like Dutch coffeeshops or Spanish cannabis clubs. There, you can smoke with like-minded people in an atmosphere that feels safe and comfortable. Good for you. For the rest of us facing legal risks, we have to be careful where we smoke, even on our own property. Smoking indoors isn't advised in illegal areas, although avoiding absorbent fabrics like those on pillows, blankets, and towels helps. The fabric of your clothes will be absorbent too, unless you want to wear a raincoat every time you light up.

Going for a walk in the fresh air and sunlight will help neutralise cannabis odours to some extent. As to whether you should light up in your local park is your risk assessment to make. If you need the smell to go away entirely, then obviously a change of clothes and a thorough shower is best. You particularly want to wash the smell out of your hair, where it is known to cling. But if you are in a rush, there are sprays you can buy to give your clothes and hair a once-over. Or, make a spray yourself by putting the following mixture into a spray bottle: water, lemon juice, fresh parsley, lavender, eucalyptus, and peppermint.

AVOID THE SMELL ENTIRELY

One alternative way to enjoy your joint is to employ a "sploof". This has to be another kooky invention from when stoners turn into engineers on short notice. Someone somewhere had the idea of getting help from an empty paper towel or toilet paper roll. If you can secure dryer sheets to the end of it with a rubber band, that will act as a filter for the smell when you exhale into it. Not bad, but you're still going to have a stream of smoke from your lit joint. Rolling with tobacco typically masks the smell, but you may not wanna get hooked on that stuff. Explore healthier tobacco substitutes with a more pleasant smell. Avoid this conundrum altogether by vaping your weed, either in oil form or with a dry herb vaporizer.

FINAL FUN TIPS

There are other ideas for hiding cannabis smells we encountered over the course of our research. There is the eminently sensible advice of generally keeping your home clean and fresh with regular vacuuming. Patchouli oil and incense can help freshen up your house, as will decent ventilation. Lighting matches or deliberately burning popcorn might mask the smell. If you have access to a wood fireplace, smoke next to that. Seems a bit wood-intensive though. If you've no garden, balcony, or shed to smoke in, you can always smoke out through a window. Only keep it slightly ajar though, otherwise there will still be a smoke smell in your room.

There was one more eccentric idea we came across, which has come to be known as a "Hawaiian Hotbox". Stuff towels at the bottom of your bathroom door and turn the shower on HOT. The steam reputedly masks the smell. Seems a bit water-intensive. It is also likely it will just turn your bathroom into some kind of pungent weed-sauna. A nice idea in theory, and in practice, pairing a smoke with a shower can be relaxing. But the thing about these tips is that a lot will come down to trial-and-error and personal circumstances. We want to hear if any of you have stumbled upon other interesting tips of your own! Please leave a comment and let us know how you hide the smell of weed.